December

Blog Posts in December, 2013

It is hard to believe the holidays are behind us and that we are about to ring in the New Year. As we approach 2014 we should be thankful for the year we have had and look forward to what is to come. We wish you a Happy New Year. We hope you celebrate the new year and enjoy yourselves. Please be safe out there and remember to drink responsibly. Remember the police are watching the roads and that ...

A push is being made for a new state law that would require mandatory minimum jail sentences for individuals who break gun laws in Illinois. The motive behind this push is that they believe people who commit crimes with guns or violate gun laws should automatically receive jail time. Two important issues arise out of this new legislative push. First, and one that defense lawyers will likely agree ...

While police blotters in the newspaper have been around for years, it seems that some police departments are taking the concept even farther and will be tweeting the names of those arrested for DUI . According to the Chicago Tribune , the Riverside Police Department is embarking on this new process, tweeting the names, ages and where an individual resides, in hopes of what can be perceived as ...

It's not happening just in the movies anymore. An angry driver getting mad at another driver for taking his parking spot or sitting too long at a stop light and getting so mad that he hits the other car with his car. Well, road rage like this is not happening in the movies only anymore. It is becoming more real and more common. It seems people are angrier at the wheel these days. We see it ...

Attorney Sarah Toney participated in the Illinois Judge's Association and the State Bar Association's Midyear Meeting at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers in Chicago. The Midyear Meeting was held December 12 – 14, 2014. It is a time where attorneys throughout the state who have been appointed to committees come together to discuss pending legislation, legal issues of importance, and ways to ...

As the new concealed carry license law goes into effect this coming January, it is hard not think of the possible ramifications of the new law. Soon, Illinois residents who successfully complete the application process will be allowed to carry concealed weapons in public, subject to the limitations of the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. Given the upcoming start to the new law, restaurants and places ...

Drivers in Illinois are often calling us for legal representation after being arrested for driving on a revoked license. This is a serious crime, with serious penalties. This fact begs the question… did they have to be arrested in the first place? Could they have found a way to drive legally while their license was revoked? The answer is yes, under some circumstances. Individuals who have had ...

It is nice to see that the justice system is taking a stand against racism. In a recent 5 th District Appellate case in Illinois, a Judge essentially said just that: courts are not a place for racist comments. Earlier this year the Court granted a new trial to a man who had been found guilty of a homicide and sentenced to 85 years in prison. The reason? The prosecutor in that case had made ...